Angel in Flannel [d.w.]

//Chapter 11: Birthday Blues//

Tessa Sloane Morgans

Tess wiped her sweaty brow with an old rag, likely getting motor oil all over her face in the process but she was too busy to bother. She was currently elbow deep in a 69' Chevy Chevelle, having taken up a job at the mechanics in Sioux Falls.

The huntress had been back in her quiet little town for nearly four weeks after having left the Winchester boys, after running into Gordon and the nest of good vampires. And she hadn't been the same since. Tess acted fine. She worked at the garage, ran the scrapyard while Bobby was hunting, went to church on Sundays and would go out with her very few friends from high school.

But she was a building cauldron of pent up emotion, depression, rage, emptiness, fear, and above all, broken hearted.

Dean hadn't reached out to Tess in any way since they parted ways on her choosing. Sam called in every couple of days, checking in on Tess and telling her how they were doing and what they had been hunting, often trying to add in how depressed and un-Dean-like his brother had been acting but Tess couldn't deal with hearing it. That information was guilt she did not want on her conscience.

"Hey, Grease Monkey." hollered one of Tess's workmates, luring the huntress out from beneath the hood. "Your old man is here to see you."

Tess cursed under her breath. She had wanted to avoid everyone who knew what tomorrow was. And although her father knew she hated celebrating he always insisted on at least trying.

Tess closed the hood of the car and clocked out for the day before approaching her father whom sat in the waiting room. "What are you doing back in town, Dad? Thought you and Rufus were in Wyoming?"

Bobby rose to his feet with a grunt, smiling gently at his beautiful daughter. "I knew you were getting off a little earlier today, thought I might take you to dinner."

Tess shook her head, tying the top half of her coveralls around her waist, revealing her sweat stained white tank top. "You know how I feel about tomorrow. I don't like fussing about it. Honestly, if we could just forget tomorrow ever existed that would be fantastic."

Bobby frowned at her, even though it was the same reaction he got every year. But with Tess being his only kin, he had tried each year to give her a cheerful birthday weekend. "You sure? We could just go to the diner and get a slice of pie and ice cream."

Tess unlocked her car, her birthday having always been depressing. Her family had all died, likely because she was some sort of supernatural freak, but her birth parents always made a big deal about birthdays. They would throw big parties with themes and the whole Morgans family would participate. Her birthday only reminded her of all she had lost.

"I love you, Dad. And I appreciate that you haven't given up after all these years, but I just can't do it, okay." Tess looked at him with pleading blue eyes, begging him to drop it.

When Bobby nodded in understanding Tess loaded into the Charger, avoiding eye contact with her father as she added "I'll be at the house of you need me."

"Ya ain't going out with Tawny or the guys from the garage tonight?"

Tess shook her head, patting the steering wheel almost proudly "Bought Destiny some new spare parts, thought I'd mess with the engine out in the workshop tonight."